Church MembershipQuestionsDescription: Church membership entitles you and your children to the privileges of: baptism, the administration of God's Word, the love, fellowship, oversight, and discipline of the church, family visits, and the use of your gifts and talents.

Admission to the Lord's SupperQuestionsDescription: Knowledge and acceptance of these terms will entitle you to partake in the Lord's Supper with us. Male heads of households are also permitted to vote in congregational meetings.

Interview Questions Before Each Lord's SupperQuestionsDescription: A short interview to determine that no public scandals have arisen involving the member, and that they are remaining faithful in their Christian duties.

Terms of Membership for The Reformed Presbytery in North America (General Meeting)

Acceptance of these terms entitles you and your children to the privileges of baptism, the administration of God's Word, the love, fellowship, oversight, and discipline of the church, family visits, and the use of your gifts and talents.

A profession of faith in Jesus Christ alone for eternal salvation.

Are you and all men (born by natural generation) sinners?

What do your sins rightly deserve from a holy God?

Do you need a Savior?

Who alone can save you from your sin?

Who is Jesus Christ?

Do you profess to believe in Christ alone for eternal salvation (apart from any human merit on your part)?

Water baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Have you received water baptism in the name of the triune God?

If not, are you willing to receive this sign and seal of the New Covenant?

If you have children that have not been baptized with water are you willing to have them baptized at this time?

A life and faith that is free of public scandal in sin or error.

Do you believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the only infallible rule for faith and life?

Do you now embrace any heretical error that has become a public scandal contrary to the Word of God?

Are you living in any unrepentant sin that has become a public scandal contrary to the Word of God?

If you are now living in any public scandal in doctrine or life, do you desire to publicly repent of such scandal and follow the Lord and His Word?

A willingness and desire to sit under the faithful preaching of God's Word.

Do you believe Christ has appointed faithful pastors and elders to feed and lead His flock?

Should you only sit under the preaching of ministers who faithfully preach God's Word?

Are you willing to submit yourselves to the preaching and to the elders of this church (in so far as both are agreeable to the Word of God)?

An acknowledgment not to speak contrary to the truth of God (as represented in the subordinate standards of the Reformed Presbytery in North America (General Meeting)).

Do you believe that human creeds (subordinate to the Word of God) may be written so as to accurately represent the true teaching of God's Word? (For example; If you know that one must believe in the trinity to be a church member, then you believe in the validity of human creeds.)

Do you acknowledge that in creeds (or subordinate standards) which are agreeable to God's infallible Word, it is lawful to submit oneself for conscience sake to the truth of God contained in such subordinate standards (although it is never lawful to submit one's conscience to a creed as being the mere teaching of men)?

Will you make inquiries of the elders when you have questions that concern you in regard to our subordinate standards?

Will you give the elders due opportunity to patiently and lovingly instruct you in any doubtful area?

Will you be "swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19)?

Is it your desire to grow in your understanding of the truth of God as expressed in God's infallible Word and in our subordinate standards?

Term #1An acknowledgment of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God, and the alone infallible rule of faith and practice.

What do the scriptures principally teach?

What does the phrase "alone infallible" mean?

How does the term infallible differ from inerrant?

What is the infallible rule of the interpretation of Scripture?

Where does our full persuasion and assurance of the infallibility of Scripture come from?

Do you read your bible daily?

Term #2That the whole doctrine of the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Catechisms, Larger and Shorter, are agreeable unto, and founded upon the Scriptures.

What is meant by the phrase "the whole doctrine".

How can uninspired documents be used as standards of the church if the word of God is the alone infallible rule of faith and practice?

What does it mean when we say these standards are "agreeable to" the Scriptures?

What are the subordinate standards of the Reformed Presbytery in North America (General Meeting)?

Do you have any known disagreement with these subordinate standards?

Are there any truths which are non essential or too small and insignificant to uphold as necessary to be believed.

Which of the three documents mentioned was produced first?

Questions relating to the Shorter Catechism are asked next.

Questions 4-7

What is God?

Are there more Gods than one?

How many persons are there in the Godhead?

In what way are the three persons one God?

In what sense is Jesus subordinate to the Father?

Or the Holy Spirit subordinate to both the Father and the Son?

Questions 7-20

Can you distinguish between the Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant of Grace?

What is the Covenant of Works?

When did it begin and who was included in this covenant?

What is the doctrine of total depravity?

What faculties of man fell when Adam and Eve disobeyed God?

Does total depravity include Original Sin?

How would you apply the doctrine of total depravity to examining yourself before coming to the Lord's Table.

Questions 21-31

Who is the Redeemer of Gods elect?

How many natures does he have?

Is he one person or more?

What offices does Christ execute as our Redeemer? Can you describe them?

By whom is our redemption applied and what means does he use?

Who communicates the benefits of redemption and what are the outward means used? (S.C.#88)

What is effectual calling?

Questions 33-36

What is justification, adoption and sanctification.

What does it mean to say that the righteousness of Christ is "imputed" to us?

How does "imputed to us" differ from "infused in us"?

How is this righteousness received by "faith alone"?

What is faith?

How do justification and sanctification differ?

Questions 37-38

What benefit do believers receive from Christ at death?

And at the resurrection?

Question 39-90

Regarding the law of God any question could be asked. We tended in our first examination to focus on the regulative principle (second commandment) and the sabbath (fourth commandment). Some questions were asked
about the difference between the ceremonial, judicial and moral law as to which of these retained their binding force.

Questions 91-97

What is a sacrament?

How many are there?

Briefly describe them as to what is done and what each means.

What is required to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper?

Should all who are baptized aspire to come to the Lord's Table?

Can visitors come and partake of the Lord's Table with us?

Why do elders fence the Lords Table?

If Elders bar someone from the Lords Supper does that mean these people are not Christians?

What is the difference between the visible and invisible church?

Why has God given ministers to the visible church?

Questions 98-107

Do you pray regularly in secret and with your family?

Do you pray for others?

Including your enemies?

Explain how the Godhead works as you pray?

Term #3That Presbyterial Church Government and manner of worship are alone of divine right and unalterable; and that the most perfect model of these as yet attained, is exhibited in the Form of Government and Directory for Worship, adopted by the Church of Scotland in the Second Reformation.

Have you read through the Form of Government and the Directory for Public Worship?

What does the term "divine right" mean?

Is every part of the Form of Government and Directory for Public Worship of divine right and unalterable?

What does it mean when it says "as yet attained"?

Do you think the lining out of the Psalms is alterable?

Describe the leading features of Presbyterian Church government.

Are independency, popery, and prelacy, sinful forms of church government that we must separate ourselves from?

Do you agree that the Elders of this church are duly called and qualified as the officers of Christ?

Do you agree to obey and abide by the lawful decisions and commands of the Elders of this church insofar as their decisions and commands agree with the scriptures?

Term #4That public, social covenanting is an ordinance of God, obligatory on churches and nations under the New Testament; that the National Covenant and the Solemn League are an exemplification of this divine institution; and that these Deeds are of continued obligation upon the moral person; and in consistency with this, that the Renovation of these Covenants at Auchensaugh, Scotland, 1712 was agreeable to the word of God.

What is covenanting and why is it an ordinance?

Why should a visible church make a covenant with God?

Why should a nation make a covenant with God?

In what sense are we to own the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant?

What does the term "exemplification" mean in this term of communion?

What portion of the covenants are of perpetual obligation and which are not?

Describe the concept of the "moral person"?

How does it relate to the perpetual obligation of the covenants?

Have you read the Auchensaugh Renovation?

What is a covenant renewal (renovation)?

Do you affirm the covenant renovation made in Auchensaugh, Scotland, 1712, was agreeable to Gods holy word?

Are we obligated to believe every detail of the Auchensaugh Renovation and all of the reasoning of the writers of it?

Term #5An approbation of the faithful contending of the martyrs of Jesus, especially in Scotland, against Paganism, Popery, Prelacy, Malignancy and Sectarianism; immoral civil governments; Erastian tolerations and persecutions which flow from them; and of the Judicial Testimony emitted by the Reformed Presbytery in North Britain, 1761 with supplements from the Reformed Presbyterian Church; as containing a noble example to be followed, in contending for all divine truth, and in testifying against all corruptions embodied in the constitutions of either churches or states.

Have you read the testimony emitted by the Reformed Presbytery in North Britain, 1761 with supplements from the Reformed Presbyterian Church? (Act, Declaration and Testimony)

Do we have to approbate all of the contending of the Martyrs of Jesus?

What is your view of our present civil government?

Do you affirm that the testimony emitted by the Reformed Presbytery in North Britain, 1761 with supplements from the Reformed Presbyterian Church; is a faithful testimony and a noble example to be followed?

What is a historical testimony and why should it be included as a term of communion?

Term #6Practically adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour by walking in all His commandments and ordinances blamelessly.

Knowing that we cannot perfectly keep Gods holy law and that we are totally depraved, what does it mean to walk in all Gods commandments and ordinances "blamelessly"?

Is it your regular and consistent practice to have daily secret worship?

Do you know of any secret sins for which you have not repented or sought forgiveness?

Family Worship and Holiness

Is it your regular and consistent practice to have daily family worship and is this led by the head of the household whenever possible?

Corporate Worship and Holiness

Since your last interview, have you knowingly, willfully, and publicly spoken against or published opinions contrary to the Subordinate Standards of the Reformed Presbytery In North America General Meeting (RPNA GM)?

Since your last interview, have you attended any events in which you have knowingly and willfully compromised your commitment to avoid the sin of occasional hearing (i.e. attended any events where ministers of unfaithful Churches preside in their official capacity)?

Are you presently involved in any public scandal to the best of your knowledge?

Do you have any personal divisions or offences with others that you have not sought to deal with in accordance with Scripture?